What a dreary, dreay day!  Opening Day 2006 at CBP.

So… not the way I imagined Opening Day 2006 going, but oh well… that’s life.  So this is my post of the 2006 season.  I needed to take a break away over the offseason, I just couldn’t blog.  I was so upset that the Phillies missed the playoffs by one game it was just too much to bear.  So I needed to back up and get my head right again.  Okay, so I’m back.

Reflections on yesterday’s game. 

St Louis

is easily the best offensive team in MLB, they have Rolen back and if their pitching holds up, it’s their World Series to lose.  Of course I do think the Phillies will surprise people and offensively do well this year.  It’s all about the pitching.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again:  PITCHING wins (or loses) games.

Lieber should NOT have been the opening say starting.  I don’t give a **** about seniority.  He had the worst ERA coming out of spring training of all starting pitchers, and I just strongly believe the guy who had the best spring (and in essence is the “hottest”) should get the honor of pitching opening day. I just think Lieber might be at the end of his career at this point. I hope I’m wrong, but again, I have this “feeling”.

TO THE BASEBALL FANS OF

PHILADELPHIA

:

STOP BOOING!  Seriously, this is stupid.  I’m not objecting to booing people who deserve it (i.e. whipping boy David Bell), but why boo Mike Lieberthal before his first at bat of the season??  Just purely idiotic.  Mike is the longest tenured pro athlete in

Philadelphia

sports history and he got TWO hits yesterday.  If fans don’t like his contact, boo management, NOT him.

Also, stop booing Scott Rolen.  Yes, the man exited philly the worst way he could have, but it was 3 years ago… TIME TO MOVE ON.  It really is silly and childish. 

Offence looked good yesterday.  I think the Phillies will end up having quite a few 13 run games of their own.  The offence just seems to be running on “all cylinders” and that’s nice to see.

My deserving Phillie of the game is:  Jimmy Rollins

37 games!  The streak lives on!

Maybe I shouldn’t be posting right now, but I just need to scream, so excuse me for a moment:

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG

Wish that made me feel better.  If you haven’t guessed it, the Phillies LOST to the Doggies AGAIN…. They’ve lost 11 games in a row against them.

It’s over.  I’m sorry, but I just have to get real here.  The way the Phillies are playing right now they don’t deserve to make the post season.  They can’t hit Pettitte and Oswalt, well that is the pitching they will face in the post season. 

The Phillies were hearing boos… I can’t say it wasn’t deserved.  These jerks need to get it together and act like they want to win.  Maybe they just looked at the calendar and saw it was September and freaked out.  They realized they were playing well and decided it was out of character for them.  Who knows… all I know is that the fans deserve so much better.

That’s it… I’m out.  I’m sick of this ****

Doom and Gloom folks, doom and gloom… that’s what Phillies phans are feeling right now.  This series against Houston is arguably the most important series have had this season, and game 1 was lost last night by Cholly “Freakin” Manuel.

I swear the Phillies must have one of the WORST coaching staffs in MLB.  Manuel is the biggest dumb*** I’ve ever seen.  He makes the worst “in game” decisions.  Last night, he choose to use Matt Kata as a pinch runner (slow guy) instead of using Endy Chavez (fastest guy we got), and he used Chavez as a pinch hitter.  A bench guy batting .216 with no HRs is the guy at the plate with 2 outs in the bottom of the 9^th with 2 runners in scoring position and the Phillies trailing by 1 run.  Want to take a guess with how this one ends?

It is just inexcusable. If Chavez would have been the pinch runner, he would have had a chance to score on Rollins double from first.  Kata isn’t the fastest guy so he got held at 3^rd base (which is still questionable).

Overall the managing in last night’s game was atrocious. 

Myers had a rough game thank to David Bell’s error in the 1^st inning.  That error set the tone for that inning where Myers gave up a 4 runs.  Myers was spectacular the rest of the game, so I just think that error by Bell shook him up.  Without that first inning, the Phillies would have shut out the doggies.

Did I mention that the Phillies have lost every game in the past two seasons vs the Astos…. The Phillies outlook just keeps looking worse and worse.

The Phillies face Oswalt tonight.  That is always a treat.  *rolls eyes*

Basically they are in a “do or die” situation here.  If they don’t win this series, I just don’t see this team making it to the post season.  The Astros schedule is way too easy from here on out (compared to other teams competing for the Wild Card).  The division title becomes more out of reach everyday. 

Phillies phans are preparing themselves for heartbreak once again.

This is a pic of Joe Carter after he hit the game winning World Series ending HR against the Phillies in 1993.  He runined my childhood.

I’m taking about Gavin Floyd.  Gavin Floyd is not ready to be in the big leagues.  For those you who don’t know what I’m talking about, Gavin Floyd is probably the biggest name in prospects in the Phillies farm system.  People have just been waiting for this guy to get to big leagues.  However, he debuted in April and got shelled.  They sent him down to AAA, and he was a September call up, and started yesterday, and fair a little better, but it wasn’t a spetacular outing. 

I think the Phillies need to stick to the starters that got them to where they are.  Messing around with these young guys could spell certain doom for the club and their chances at a post season.  I think when you are in this close of a race, why overuse these guys just coming up.  Every game is a pressure filled situation, and I just think it unfair to ask these guys to come up and produce.

Just my thoughts.  I’m not completely shocked that the Phillies lost this series to the Nationals.  The Phillies of old are rearing their ugly heads and it is tough see it.  I fear this upcoming homestand.  The Phillies are only 11-17 vs the Astros, Marlins, and Braves this season, so I’m sure you can see my concern.  These next 10 games are critical because they are against tough competition and they are at HOME.  The Phillies MUST use their homefield advantage to try to win these games.  If they end up with a losing home series, any hopes of postseason will go up in smoke.

Yep, Jimmy Rollins is in the doghouse BIG TIME!  Jimmy is one of my favorite players, but he really screwed up in last night’s game vs. the Washington Nationals, and in the process lost the game for the Phillies. 

Obviously, it takes more than just one player to lose a game, but let me tell you folks, Jimmy’s poor at bat in the 11th inning of last night’s game was inexcusable. 

If you are Phillies phan, you know Jimmy’s weaknesses offensively.  First off, you know that Jimmy Rollins should NOT be leading off.  He is way too impatient for that.  He’s almost arrogant when he’s at bat, and I still haven’t understood why he is.  His OPS is pitiful for a leadoff man, and he just continues to practice the same bad behaviors over and over again.

Anyway, in last night’s game the Phillies battled back in the 9th with back-to-back HRs from David Bell (still love him) and Ryan Howard to tie the ball game with the Nats!  The games goes to extra innings.  Jimmy Rollins come to back with 1 out and bases loaded in the 11th.  The pitcher for the Nats (I can’t think of his name right now), walks the batter before Jimmy.  Jimmy comes up and you’d think since the guy is a little WILD, you’d take pitches until he throws you a strike.  SOMETHING MOST KIDS LEARN IN LITTLE LEAGUE!  Well Jimmy takes the first two pitches and then proceeds to swing a ball 3 and ball 4!  If he would have been a little patient, the winning run would have been walked in.

I’m telling you people I wanted to STRANGLE him.  I wanted to pinch his little head off like a grape (Bowa reference).  I just don’t remember being so angry at a player.  I didn’t post this last night in fear I would CURSE throughout the entire blog.

I hope other players got on him last night.  I still can’t get my mind around why he swung before he had a strike.  It wasn’t as if the ball was coming right down the center of the plate.  It was high and outside.  I think it just Jimmy Rollins’s arrogance.  He didn’t want to walk, he wanted to get a hit and be the big hero.  He should have recognized that he would have been hero had he just been a little patient. 

If I were Charlie Manuel I’d bench him today.  He needs to be sent a message that in games that are as important as these games in September, you can’t be thinking with you head up your butt.  There is no room for arrogance. 

Anyway, the Phillie still remain a half game up on the Astros and Marlins in the Wild Card race.  Hopefully they can win today and win the series, before going home to face the Astros, Marlins, and Braves.

Those of you that are regular readers of my blog, I’m sure are having a laugh at the title of this thread!  Those of you that are just reading my blog for the first time, go to a blog title about month ago with the name of "I loath David Bell" and you’ll understand.

I am one of the biggest critics of the Phillies 3rd baseman (and most of the time I am right on), HOWEVER today I need to give credit where it is due! 

David Bell smacked a GRAND SLAM in last night’s game against the Washington Nationals in the 3rd inning! This was the first Grand Slam of his career and before yesterday he was the longest active (meaning playing everyday) player without a Grand Slam.  I was just ripping him to a friend yesterday before the game started about that fact.  Bell must have been listening because he went out and just killed a ball, and put the Phillies up for good in that game.  The Phillies went on to win the game 7-1, and keep hold of the Wild Card lead over the Houston Astros.

I truly hope this is the turn around for him and he will play well from now through the end of the season because LORD knows the Phillies NEED him to produce.  Speaking of players that have started to produce, I must mention Mike Lieberthal.  Mike Lieberthal has struggled this season, however he hit .310 in the month of August, and seems to be carrying it into September!  I heard that every since Kenny Lofton taught him a pre-game dance, he does it now and it has helped!  Hey, whatever works!

Let me leave you with a couple of pictures of David Bell’s herotics offensively and defensively from last night!

Oh yeah Baby!

That was a HUGE series win over the Mets!  Glad to see the Phillies rebound so well after that first game debacle (which they should have won, but we won’t talk about that).  Happy days are here again!  I have a very strong feeling that they Phillies will sweep the Nats in DC this weekend.  Don’t ask me why I feel this way, I just do.  Of course, I probably just jinxed them by say that but good thing I don’t believe in jinx.

Out pitching really was awesome this series— minus the first game.  Obviously, UUU blew up but the guy is human.  He’s not a machine!  Every so often he’ll just have a bad game.  I do think Ryan Madson needs to be watched.  He’s on the edge.  I’m not sure if it is from overuse or just fatigue this point in the season, but whatever it is, he needs to pitch less.

Anyway, The Phillies have a half game lead in the WC over the Astros, and continue to be 4 games back in division behind

Atlanta

.

In my opinion, from now through Sept 15 will decide the Phillies fate.  After this series with the Nats, they play the Astros at home for 3 games.  Then play the Marlins and the Braves (at home) in the next two series with one off day.  If the Phillies can manage to win all these series, they will be on easy street.  If they struggle, they are basically finished!

Whatever happens, this has been the most exciting end of the season for Phillies phans, in awhile! 

But first things first, BEAT THE NATS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  GO PHILLIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Also, I have to give credit where credit is due.  Yesterday, the Phillies had an unusual hero… it was none other than, DAVID BELL. 

Bell

’s single in the first with the bases loaded allowed the Phillies to take a 2-0 lead in the game, and they never looked back.

Good job D. Bell…. Now only if you’d do more like that, then people wouldn’t hate you so much.

Here’s the pic of David’s Bell hit in the first that put the Phillies on top for good.

I’m back folks!  Hopefully it is for good!  For the last week I’ve been trying to post and I haven’t been able to login to my blog!  So today I called MLB Customer Service and I got it fixed!  So I’m back!  So if you notice that I don’t post for weeks at a time it is MLB’s fault… NOT MINE!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

So much had happened in the last week, I don’t know where to begin.  It is kind of funny because with as much that has happened, things are kind of where they were when I stopped posting.

The Phillies are still in the lead for the WC and they are only 4 games back of the Braves.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

On my prediction (I tried to post this on August 27, but I couldn’t login) so you get to read it now!

Well the Phillies are in their final stretch of this “all important” 29 game period that I had predicted they would go 20-9.  They start their 3 game series with the Arizona Diamondbacks tonight, their record in the last 26 games has been (drum roll please)  17-9!  Very impressive, if you ask me!  Of course, they were playing some not so good teams, so if they would have done worse than this, they wouldn’t even deserve to be in the playoffs.  They still have a chance of making my prediction come true, if they sweep the D-Backs.  However, this will be kinda tough.  They are coming off a series in which they were just killed by the Mets.  They were swept by them.  Also, the Phillies will face Brandon Webb on Saturday afternoon, and he will probably shut them down.  So I’m thinking they will end up 19-10.

I want to discuss the rest of the season.  Following the

Arizona

series, they have 31 games left.   Mostly they face other teams in the NL East, and as most people who follow the Phillies know, the Phillies do not do so well against their own division.  So this is going to be a rough month, for them and also for the fans!

I am going to predict the following for the last 31 games.  I believe the Phillies will go 18-13.  This is my prediction for the sole reason that they have to win at least 18 games over the final 31 games if they even have a chance in competing for a playoff spot.  If they win at least 2 games in

Arizona

, that will allow them to end the season with 89 wins.  Anything less than that, with the division and WC being so close, they can kiss their hopes of the playoffs goodbye.

Every single series in this upcoming stretch is significant.  Like I said before in this blog.  SEPTEMBER WILL BE THE MONTH OF WAR.

Being a Phillies phan, I am trying to just take each game day-by-day, but it is tough not to look ahead.  If any team in the NL East goes on any kind of a “losing streak” it will mean certain “curtains” for them.   Time will reveal all.  I’m looking forward to see the Phillies on top once the smoke clears, but I also try to be a realist.  The Phillies have not see a post season since 1993—- we Phillies phans are programmed to “expect the worst, hope for the best”

Let’s catch up….

I’ve been out of the loop for the last few days.  I work for a private school and today was the first day of school, so things have been a little crazy for me as the school year begins but they should be settling down soon.

Anyway, first things first, the Phillies are still leading the WC and are just 3.5 games back behind the Bravos.  That’s the good news.

I’ve been kind of annoyed by the Phillies recently, because it seems to me they should have swept the Pirates and/or the Giants and this is not going to happen.  I don’t know why they are losing (even one game) to these punks.  These are teams you have to beat up if you want to win the division or WC.

Anyway, I digress.  My 20-9 prediction is just about up.  We have 4 games to go and the Phillies are 16-9.  Very good record!  Obviously, I’d love it and they very well could win the last 4 games, so that my prediction would be accurate, but they will probably win 2 and lose 2, ending up with 18-11 record over this 29 game stretch.  Which is still very good and I feel pretty good about my prediction.  This is the kind of record the Phillies needed over this 29 game stretch to stay in the WC and Division race.

I will be predicting the rest of the season for the Phillies after this series vs the D-Backs.  So stay tuned for that.

Players I love right now:  Chase Utley (duh!), Ryan Howard, Pat Burrell, Brett Myers, Bobby Abreu, Uggy Urbina, Billy Wagner (even though he’s got a big mouth), Vicente Padilla, E. Brito, Todd Pratt, Ryan Madson, Rob Tejeda (even though his last start was shaky)

Players I love to hate:  David Bell (GO AWAY), Rheal Corimer (nice guy, but can’t pitch for poop), Mike Leiberthal (after 9 years behind the plate and still can’t call a good game), Jimmy Rollins ( I LOVE YOU KID, BUT GET ON BASE).

Anywho—that is all I have for today.  I’m exhausted from my job.  Time to go home.  GO PHILLIES!

Pics from last night’s game: